


Without Warning

by AriceComet



Category: InoSai, NARUHINA - Fandom, Naruto, Sasuhina - Fandom, Shippuden Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-05-28 10:38:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15047045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AriceComet/pseuds/AriceComet
Summary: The Great Shinobi War is over, and the Allied Shinobi Forces have settled with a more diplomatic approach of living. But the feeling of camaraderie and friendship still lingers amidst the sadness over fallen friends and comrades. Everything is about to change in the lives of the shinobi world, but not because of the Great War... There's something more sinister coming to destroy the temporary safety and happiness they have built for themselves. And the only people who can stop them may be the most unwilling to.





	1. Aftermath of the Great War

CHAPTER 1

AFTERMATH OF THE GREAT WAR

 

The remnants of the Great Shinobi War was devastating. Bodies of fallen comrades and foes scattered in distances too great to be finished in 3 days.

We need more time... Or more shinobi.

The Raikage looked up at the sky, thinking to himself as he looked past the gray sky and toward the horizon where he can see more bodies scattered in random quantities at various areas. The number of fallen comrades outnumber their enemies' bodies in a ratio of three to one. The Raikage sprints North from where he stood, seeing a rock jutting out from the barren ground he jumps on it and surveys the area further.

Too much loss.

He looks even further North, and faintly sees a dark crater that must have been the base of the Allied Shinobi Forces - the one disintegrated by the Ten Tails, taking with it many brave men and women such as Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi of the Konohagakure.

"Everyone!" Raikage suddenly called out to the fifty men he had taken with him in order to gather the bodies of the dead. The immediately turned to their leader, awaiting instruction. "Make sure to categorize the bodies of the fallen based on their village of origin."

The men who had gathered before the Raikage had their eyes set in determination, though they were all from one village, they understood the necessity of giving respect to the dead by returning them to where their families would be waiting to bury their dead. The Raikage looked down solemnly on the bodies of two shinobi who looked no more than eighteen below the rock he stood on. He jumped down and carried both of them in his arms, too small and fragile that they barely took up space when he carried them bridal style.

"We must respect our dead comrades, our friends. They died for our freedom, for our world." Setting both Konoha shinobi bodies on the ground, side by side, in front of the gathered men, he said, "Let's go! Start collecting our comrades' bodies!"

________________________________________

 

"Shizune!" Tsudnade's voice thundered from her office.

Shizune quickly entered the room, with Tonton in her arms. "Yes, Tsunade-sama?"

"Is there any word from the other Kages about the status of their villages?"

"We've received word from the Kazekage and the Raikage, Tsunade-sama." Shizune replied, producing two scrolls and handing them over to Tsunade's waiting hand. Tsunade opened both and proceeded to reading them side by side, simultaneously. Her face remained passive as Shizune waited. After a short while, Tsunade stood up and looked at Shizune.

"Shizune," she began. "Make sure to inform me ASAP when the other two Kages have sent information. For now," Tsunade instructed, taking a scroll of her own and quickly writing a response she later on instructed Shizune to send back to the Kazekage and the Raikage regarding the situation in Konoha. When Shizune left, she walked toward the opposite end of the office, facing the window that overlooked the slowly rebuilding village of the hidden Leaf.

Konoha took the worst of it all, when Pain attacked. I'm glad the other villages suffered less damage.

________________________________________

 

It took more than a week in order for the Raikage to complete the body collecting in the expanse of the area surrounding his village and the area of the great war. He had requested more shinobi to work with the fifty already with him in order to lessen the time it would take to complete their mission, but even then it had taken three more days with the extra help. They were already on their eleventh day and they were still having trouble piecing together the bodies that have been cut or separated into different limbs all over the battlefield. There were bodies missing parts that they couldn't seem to find anywhere in the vicinity and the Raikage's instinct prickled with worry at the notion of anyone - or anything - taking specific parts of the dead shinobis' bodies.

Tsunade must know about this... Something's amiss...

"You," Raikage pointed to the nearest shinobi to his right to catch his attention.

"Hai, Raikage-sama?" The man immediately presented himself to the leader of his village. His form, looking like that of a child's in front of the great Raikage.

"Do you have a scroll?"

The man rummaged through his clothing, trying to look for a blank scroll. When he finally produced one, he handed it to the Raikage who had already taken out a writing instrument. The Raikage immediately went to work, writing in speeds that would shame any typewriting machine wielded by a typing expert. In just under a minute, he had filled up the scroll with all the information needed to be known by the Hokage, omitting specific information should the scroll be read by anyone other than the Hokage, herself.

"Here," the Raikage handed the sealed scroll back to the man who provided it. "Go back to the village, or find someone nearby who can send the message to Konoha as quickly as possible."

"Yes, Raikage-sama!" The man immediately raced off in the direction of their village, making sure to secure the scroll in his jacket inner pocket and simultaneously thinking of the nearest place to find a messenger bird available to deliver the message as soon as possible.

The Raikage looked on, placing all his trust on that one man to deliver the scroll safely though he did not know him personally.

 

_____________________________________________

A/N : I know it's still boring right now but trust me, it gets better! This is just a little introduction of the setting and the possible problems that await our heroes!


	2. The Task

Raikage ordered an immediate autopsy of the bodies that had been peculiar. Some seemed to have died of cuts to internal organs but had lost a few parts that were odd. A body that obviously died of blood loss from a cut to an artery in the neck oddly had his eyes and hands taken, and there were some more morbid than others in appearance. Even for any bloodthirsty killing machine, killing someone is one thing but to rip their parts (and probably keep them) when they're already dead is somewhat... pointless, even bordering psychotic. So the Raikage summoned some of his best and requested to have Tsunade and Gaara send some of theirs. Among the Kages these two had been the easiest to call for when in need of assistance mostly because the Mizukage and the Tsuchikage needed to maintain order among their remaining shinobi. There were various political turmoil amidst the peace. Knowing that it would take more than his village's abilities in order to understand the purpose for such heinous acts, the Raikage knew he needed to acquire help.

War was bad, but mutilating the bodies of the fallen was worse.

At the moment, Raikage looked over his village, Kumogakure, through his glass window with a deep frown. He knows his worries are nothing short of factual, but he is hoping — for the sake of post-war rebuilding, and the deads' families — that his gut feeling was wrong.

_________________________________________

 

"Has there been any updates, Tsunade?"

Tsuande shook her head, sadly, and kept staring at the cold tiles of the Konohagakure Hospital. She hadn't bothered to notice that the honorific was dropped when the elders addressed her.

The peering eyes of the two council elders remained on the Fifth Hokage, calculating whether or not to push her for information or to cut her some slack after the Great War. The woman was the first to break, sighing, she touched the old man's arm and sent him a message with her eyes. Perhaps now is not the best time.

The old man nodded, knowing that their exchange wasn't noticed by the Fifth who was still deep in her own thoughts. He cleared his throat to get her attention again. The Legendary Sannin looked up with a sort of dazed and tired look in her eyes as though she hadn't been sleeping — and probably drowning herself in the sake stash in her desk at the Hokage's office.

"Tsunade," the old man started. "You should rest, the people of Konoha will not take well to seeing its leader fall apart because of post-war worries. You must remain strong, and hopeful for whatever news the Raikage will bring us."

Tsunade was surprised by the elders' kindness, and turned her eyes toward the old woman who nodded slightly as if to tell her that she agrees as well. For the first time since the troubling news from the Raikage, Tsuande found herself with a small smile. "Arigatou gozaimasu, I will heed your advice."

Seemingly satisfied with the outcome of their small talk, the two elders proceeded to leave the Konohagakure Hospital while Tsunade remained standing where she was until they were out of sight.

They finally begin to trust me since the Great War. I'm grateful for at least these few changes.

"Hokage-sama!" A nurse was running towards Tsunade, her face one of desperation.

Tsunade, without needing any information, ran to the room of the patient handled by the specific nurse.

"Get three more nurses up there with me, now!" Tsunade shouted as she passed the nurse, picking up speed. Her strength was indeed needed, not just by fighters, but also by healers.

_________________________________________

 

The team sent by the Hokage and the Kazekage arrived four days since their departure. Normally they would have taken a week because of bandits and other village ninja trying to intercept them but since the Great War, there have been less issues between the villages apart from minor troubles like thievery and the common drunkards every now and again. The need for hardcore missions grew less and it was easier for the Kages to send people when their allies required it.

"Right this way," the Raikage's secretary gestured to a great building that stood in the center of the village and the two groups — Leaf and Sand shinobi — walked at ease toward the great double doors set in front of the building with the secretary following close, and leading the way.

Four Leaf shinobi and five Sand were sent to the Raikage. They were little in number because the Raikage has specifically asked for the best of the best — failure in this particular autopsy was not an option if it means they were facing a new, and perhaps greater threat.

"Finally, it took you long enough," was the Raikage's greeting when the group of 9 finally entered his office. Without formalities, he immediately turned to his secretary. "Give them an overview of what's happening and I'll proceed from what I want them to do."

"Hai, Raikage-sama," she replied, and the nine shinobi immediately turned their attention to her as she narrated the events that lead up to the present.

When the secretary was finished, the Raikage stood up from his couch to face the shinobi in his full, daunting height.

"I want you to assist my own team in conducting an autopsy for the dead bodies before we return them to their rightful villages and families. I will not sugar-coat this and say that your job will be simple because yours will be a complex and difficult task, and there is no room for failure during the autopsy. You will study the cause or causes of each body's death and make sure to report it in complete, concise and accurate measure." The Raikage paused, making sure to look each one of the nine shinobi present in the eyes. When he was satisfied that their attention was all on him, he continued.

"Any report short of a one hundred percent accuracy will be repeated. After a regular autopsy, you must lay out the facts about the bodies' village of origin and clan of origin, if there is any also list bloodlines. Make sure to check which bloodlines are missing, and how long the period of time between the person's death and the removal of the bloodlines were. This is the most crucial part of the entire autopsy. You cannot make any mistakes even a second or a minute difference is not acceptable. I will not repeat myself as soon as you're all deployed in the autopsy chamber, and no one will help you there because there will only be a total of nineteen of you to work on this, and there are more than a thousand dead bodies. I assume it will take a round-the-clock work to finish this task in two weeks. I'm giving you three weeks at best. There are nineteen of you, and the best there is. I believe the Mizukage will send some of her best in a few days, by then you should have finished a quarter of the bodies... There is no room for failure. Do I make myself clear?"

"Hai, Raikage-sama!" The nine shinobi replied simultaneously, standing at attention and mentally preparing themselves for the gruelling task to come. Round-the-clock means having to work at least sixteen hours a day, leaving the remaining eight to eat and rest. And they only had three weeks.

____________________________________________

 

The Mizukage's best consisted of six in a group, and upon their arrival four days after the Leaf and Sand shinobi arrived, the Raikage had been mildly surprised.

"Six?" He asked.

"Hai, Raikage-sama, six," his secretary replied coolly while the Raikage stood with his back to her as he stared out his window.

"The Mizukage told me only five will be coming," he sighed. "Let them in."

When the six shinobi entered his office, they stood in a horizontal line in order for the Raikage to easily see their faces.

"The letter Mizukage sent me said only five will be arriving, which one of you is not supposed to be part of this team."

The group noticeably tensed, except for one. A tall, old man with his hands clasped together in front of him stood on the rightmost of the group and remained calm. He quietly stepped forward, making sure to make his movements careful and slow so as not to alarm the Raikage.

He bowed to the best of his abilities before speaking, "Raikage-sama, I was a last minute addition because Mizukage-sama didn't believe I could still travel in my old age. But I am a veteran medical nin, and I have done more autopsies in half of my life than these five with me combined. I want to be of service to the Allied Shinobi Forces while I'm still alive."

The Raikage took a moment to consider. "What is your name?"

"I am Kozuya, just Kozuya."

"And how do I know I can trust you with this difficult task, Kozuya?"

At this, Kozuya smiled a little bit, bringing up the corners of his white moustache and wrinkling the corner of his eyes. "I am the Mizukage's grandfather and a veteran medic nin. I am well acquainted with the human anatomy and I have done surgeries in amounts more than my age. It would also honour my granddaughter if you would allow me to take part in this mission."

The Raikage nodded once, realising the honour and sincerity behind the man's words.

"You may go, you will be briefed on your way to the autopsy chamber. Please do not fail the Allied Shinobi Forces."


	3. Rebuilding and Reconnecting

Metal hitting wood, wood being sawed and metal meeting metal were all the sounds that surrounded the Northern side (near the mountain with the Hokages faces) of Konoha. The rebuilding of the destroyed Leaf village would begin from the Northern area and make it's way into the central, Eastern and Western area after dividing the workers into three equal groups, before they finally reach the Southern part of the village where the gates will be rebuilt.

The plans were being made as they went — especially the specifics with Jounins such as Might Gai, Sarutobi Kurenai, Hatake Kakashi and Yamato collectively decide where to place certain parts of the village such as homes, the new Academy, the extension of the currently small (and perhaps temporary) hospital and even the training grounds. Everything had to be taken from scratch, which meant that the brains of the task had to work twice as fast as the hundreds of people working on constructing. No one should be allowed too much idle time.

"Kakashi!"

At the call of his name, the gray-haired copy nin raised his eyes from studying the main blueprint of the entire Konaha rebuilding to meet his self-proclaimed rival's eyes.

"Yo, Gai. What is it?" He asked, not removing his hands from the edges of the blueprints where he held them.

"Kurenai and Yamato were wondering if it's really a good idea to put the Academy at the center of the village with the residences surrounding it. Some of the shop owners complained that putting their stores on the outskirts of the village will affect their businesses."

Kakashi thought about it for a moment. The original plan had in mind the safety of the children, and with the new Academy so close to the residences, it may be easier for kidnaps and other problems to be avoided. He forgot to consider the shop keepers. "Well, what do you think about it?"

Gai shrugged. "You know these things aren't really in my realm of... expertise."

Kakashi sighed and frowned a little. "Why are you so serious today, Gai? None of the youth and spring time fountain cheers?"

Gai smiled a little but regained his expressionless face as he looked Kakashi in the eyes. "There's been word that a new threat is brewing. The Kages have been conferring about it over the last few days and maybe even longer. Tsunade-sama has been unnerved since the news began turning up."

"What threat?"

"Nothing has been finalized yet, but it seems like the Raikage is at the heart of the investigation."

"Kakashi senpai! Gai-san! What's taking so long?" Yamato's voice broke through the heaviness that suddenly weighed upon the rival jounins.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be right there!" Kakashi replied before making sure that Yamato's attention was away from them before turning to face Gai.

"Where did this information come from?"

"I went to speak with Tsunade-sama earlier today but instead I received a fumbling and rather jumpy Shizune trying to send different scrolls at a time and receiving others. She mentioned conferences being held one after another. Something is definitely wrong."

"Yeah, seems like it. Tsunade's been having trouble sleeping lately. I can see it in her eyes whenever I visit the temporary hospital."

The two were quiet for a moment. Then Kakashi straightened himself. "Alright, I'll go plan a new scheme of the center with Yamato. Look for Kurenai, she might need help figuring out where to get new materials for the construction."

"Sure, sure. And Kakashi," Gai turned around, making sure Kakashi didn't see the worry lines etching his face. "Don't let any rumor reach Naruto's ears."

"Understood," Kakashi replied.

——————————————————————————————————

 

"Good morning Hinata-chan!" Sakura's cheery voice pierced the calm that Hinata was feeling as she sat underneath a tree on the outskirts of the village.

"Oh, good morning Sakura-chan! What brings you here?"

"I was just taking a morning stroll on my way to Sasuke's apartment actually. I still can't believe he's finally home, you know?"

"Oh yes. I'm glad that he is too. It makes Naruto-kun very happy knowing his best friend is back."

"Yeah," Sakura smiled wistfully, looking upward as another breeze pushed her hair out of her face. In this light, Hinata could see the beauty that Naruto had always liked in Sakura, and to an extent she was jealous of it - of the memories they had growing up that she would never know because she wasn't a part of team 7.

"Are you okay?" Sakura's voice broke Hinata out of her negative thoughts, and she smiled quickly and turned a faint red at the thought of being caught with such sentiments. Sakura smiled, understanding.

"Don't worry. He's naive and a bit stupid, but deep down Naruto cares so much about you, Hinata. Trust me." At this, Hinata blushed even deeper, unsure of how to respond.

"Oiii!! Sakura! Hinata!!" A voice shouted as a figure in gray ran towards the two girls. A bark was heard and a huge white canine was running alongside the man. Sakura waved her hand in a greeting and Hinata stood up from where she sat.

So much for a quiet morning. She thought to herself, smiling nonetheless at the prospect of seeing Sakura and Kiba while everyone was so busy rebuilding the village.

"Kiba-kun," Hinata greeted with a smile and Kiba grabbed her into a tight hug.

"It's been too long! Where have you been?"

"Eh? Was she gone?" Sakura asked, unsure of why Kiba would not have seen Hinata in a while considering they were both from the same team.

"Ha? Didn't you know Hinata was on an inter-clan conference somewhere in the Village of Waterfall with her father and sister? They were gone for a week!"

"It's okay Kiba-kun, I didn't inform anyone else but you and Shino that I was leaving for a while."

"Sorry Hinata," Sakura apologized with a small smile, mentally scolding herself for not knowing that one of her friends was not in the village. "I wish you'd told us though, so we could have at least sent you off!"

"No, it's really okay. My father preferred that we travelled as secretly as we could."

"Ne, Hinata, do you want to go grab something to eat with me and Akamaru?"

"Sure! Sakura-chan, would you like to come with us?"

"No, no, I'm fine Hinata-chan. I was just on my way to Sasuke's remember? You two have fun."

"Suit yourself! Let's go Hinata!" Kiba shouted and started tugging on Hinata's sweater before completely pulling her with him before she could protest.

"Oh-kay! See you later Sakura-chan!"

Sakura laughed and shouted a final goodbye before turning around and heading towards the direction of Sasuke's apartment. One of the few places in the village that wasn't destroyed by Pain was the Uchiha compound because it was located practically outside the village walls, and Sasuke had specifically decided to return to this place rather than reside in one of the new buildings constructed because he believed in maintaining what the Uchiha clan had already started.

Sakura admired Sasuke for that - being unable to waver from who he really was and his roots. She smiled happily to herself as she walked, hoping to catch Sasuke in a good mood.

_______________________________________________

 

Naruto lay on his back atop the heads of the mountain with the Hokages' faces, recalling the war that had just ended and thinking about what he learned from both Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama. It only reinforced his belief that bonds are what makes a person stronger. He thought of Sasuke and how he finally decided to return to the village — albeit in order to become a Hokage like himself, but at least he returned.

Naruto sighed, thinking of everyone in the village working hard to rebuild what was broken... And all he could think about were a pair of clear, pale lavender eyes. And ramen. He missed old man Ichiraku's ramen, and wondered when it would be finished building.

He wanted to take a break from everything now that he had suddenly become a celebrity with everyone wanting to be around him and all the girls who keep following him around. He wanted none of that — and now he realized why Sasuke was always in such a bad temper while they were growing up having gone through the same thing.

He thought of those lavender eyes again, and how it's been a week since she left. She was probably back by now. Hopefully her trip went smoothly, he thought. So much had changed, and he couldn't be happier. Sasuke's home. Team 7 is complete. Most of his friends had survived the Great War... And now he's considering a new goal... More than being Hokage, he wanted what his parents had — love. More than friendly love, more than the sibling love he and Sasuke, or he and Shikamaru had.

He sighed and sat up. Staring at the village, thinking that somewhere in that mass of wood, metal, stone and soil, there's a girl with lavender eyes walking around with his heart.

____________________________________________________

 

"Hinata-chan!!!" A blue-eyes Ino screamed as she tackled the Hyuuga heiress to the ground upon entering the small restaurant the villagers built near the central construction site.

"Ino!" Hinata replied just as enthusiastically, falling over with a thud and hugged her closest friend back.

"Did you just get back?! How are you? How was your trip? Did you meet anyone special?" Ino pried and asked one after the other without giving time for Hinata to actually answer. The two formed an odd pair, being complete opposites of each other. But they hit it off after seeing each others' lives and being able to appreciate their own more for seeing how it is on the other side.

"Ino, stop hogging her! I want a hug too!" Tenten yanked on Ino's hair and after pulling Hinata up went on to hugging her. "I missed you Hinata-chan!"

"Oi oi, we came here to eat. Let the lady go." Kiba spoke up, quieting the now arguing Ino and Tenten.

Hinata smiled and proceeded to hug both Ino and Tenten together. "I missed both of you so much!! I brought home gifts for you and they're at my house. We can go there after a meal so you can choose what you like, okay?" Among the buildings in Konoha, the Uchiha and the Nara compounds had suffered the least damage. The Hyuuga compound had suffered minor damage but the head, Hiashi had gone on having the compound rebuilt and fixed before any of the villagers had started planning how to rebuild the village. As a man who believed in strength, Hiashi believed that his home was supposed to be a reflection of the strength that the Hyuuga held. Hinata had frowned disdainfully, knowing full well how Hiashi had simply wanted to show off the power of the Hyuuga wealth. Still, she hadn't spoken against her father for fear of being told that she should have died in the place of the Hyuuga prodigy, her cousin Neji.

"Arigato, Hinata," both girls echoed together breaking Hinata from her negative thoughts. They proceeded to ushering Hinata, Kiba and Shino into a booth before serving them their meals.

"I missed this!" Kiba sighed as he looked around seeing friends gathered, enjoying meals and chatting after the Great War. It was indeed great to be back home.


	4. His Mission and Farewells

The Mizukage slammed her fist against her desk, startling the two men in her office.

"Mizukage-sama?" One of them said in hushed tones, fearful because the Mizukage's reputation for random bursts of anger is unparalleled. She was known for the silent and sudden blows of rage that freaked out even the people closest to her. She literally gave no warning before a freak accident occurs - usually by her own hand.

"I can't believe he still went ahead. I specifically said 'no' and he didn't follow that!"

"Mizukage-sama, what's wrong?"

"Kozuya," she replied, as if that one word answered everything. "He left with the team we sent to the Raikage for the autopsy mission. He wasn't supposed to go!" Slamming her fist once more on the beat-up table.

"Why? Is it that bad that your grandfather went in order to help?"

The Mizukage pursed her lips in irritation. She has no idea how to remedy the situation considering the team had already arrived a day or two ago. "He's trying to fulfill a debt he once owed to a Hyuuga for saving my grandmother's life."

"What debt? What's he supposed to do?" The second man asked.

"I don't know. He never told me. He said it could only be revealed when it was done, otherwise, people would keep it from happening."

____________________________________________

Sasuke walked around the outskirts of the village. The steady beat of his footsteps unwavering as he walked around with his eyes closed. His other senses were heightened enough that he could still perceive his surroundings clearly. He mainly walked on the outskirts to keep from the hustle and bustle of the villagers.

He knew Sakura would be looking for him in the Uchiha estate by now, and he had left exactly an hour earlier in order to evade her visit. There's no anger or repulsion in him toward Sakura but he just felt the need to be away from the girl who had always cared about him the most genuinely. Among the many things he would like to say to the pink-haired kunoichi, none were pleasant. The end of the war had been a huge weight lifted off the entire Land's shoulders, and even those outside the Land of Fire. But it didn't stop him from the cold, hard fact that he still had one ambition left to fulfill - the restoration of the Uchiha clan, and with it the renaissance of the Sharingan as a bloodline limit.

He opened his eyes to the sudden feeling of an unfamiliar chakra nearby. He stopped walking and turned his head slowly to the left, catching the unmistakably out-of-place body hiding behind the tall trees outside the village walls. It held no threatening pose to himself and he opted to ignore the man - or woman - who was pointedly following him.

Tch. I guess they still don't trust me.

His focus on the shinobi following him from a distance rendered him startled when a certain bug-user walked around the corner near him and halted his steps. Ten long seconds passed by and neither said a word. Onyx eyes stared into pitch black shades, waiting.

"Uchiha," the deep timbre of his tone pierced the tense silence.

"What do you want, Aburame?"

"Naruto was looking for you, he told me you'd be here."

"How would he know—"

"He knows." Shino cut him off and Sasuke fought the urge to hit him for the insolence of interrupting him. He deflated quickly, Not worth it, he thought to himself before walking towards the road that Shino had come from.

"Where?" Sasuke's tone was neutral but held an air of authority.

"The food stall temporarily setup for the Ichiraku Ramen stand."

Figures.

Sasuke silently left without another word. I wonder what the dobe wants now.

______________________________________________

"It's about time!"

"Shut up, dobe."

"Old man, give the newcomer a bowl of pork ramen!"

"Coming up!!" The old man hollered.

"I'm not hungry."

"It's on me!" Naruto grinned widely, turning his face just quick enough to tell his best friend to sit on the stool beside him.

"Aburame said you wanted to talk to me." Sasuke wasted no time in voicing his intention. He wanted to get the matter over with quickly and get back to rebuilding the Uchiha compound.

"Oh yeah! Tsunade-baachan said she wanted to see me for a mission, I want you to tag along! It'd be nice to actually have a mission with you again after how many years." The blonde smiled through the noodles in between his teeth.

"I don't want to go."

"You have no choice, really. Baa-chan already agreed to it, and we're setup to leave in three hours." Naruto slurped more of his ramen, finally finishing it with a satisfied 'aahh'.

"Tch. Trust you not to ask for my opinion before finalizing anything, idiot."

"Aww c'mon, you can't keep pretending you didn't miss me!" Naruto put a friendly pat on his friend's shoulder before standing from his stool to pay for the ramen.

Surprisingly, the last Uchiha didn't negate the blonde's statement because it was... well, true. Sasuke did miss the loud mouth, even though they fought most of the time. He was still his brother, at least by heart. The old man placed a steaming bowl of pork ramen in front of him and he found another reason to dislike his best friend.

He sighed. "I'm not hungry, Naruto." He stood up and put more than the amount needed to pay for the ramen on the table and started to walk away.

"Ne, I'll still see you at the gate in 3 hours, Sasuke-teme!"

Sasuke grunted and left to prepare for the mission. He would ask for details later on.

___________________________________________________

Somehow Sasuke found another way to evade her. And she felt deeply wounded for it. She thought that the fulfilment of his ambition to kill his brother would bring back the Sasuke Uchiha that she had liked as a young kunoichi. But he was just as indifferent to her as he had been then, perhaps even colder and more menacing whenever she tried to spend some time with him.

She sighed and deflated visibly. "I am never going to get him to actually hang out with me, much less talk to me."

Opening her eyes, she decided to look for her blonde teammate instead. Her feet lead her to Ichiraku just as Naruto was leaving.

"Naruto!" She visibly cheered up, running to her friend.

"Oh, Sakura-chan! What are you doing here?"

"I was just looking for you! Ne, want to look for the others and hang out?" She smiled cutely and was rewarded with a pout.

"Gomen Sakura-chan. I have a mission to prepare for and I have to be there in a few hours, I don't have time. Maybe look for someone else to hang out with, ne?" Naruto started jogging away from his pink-haired childhood crush and regretted how he had kept from her the fact that he had specifically requested to have Sasuke on this mission but not her.

His eyes hardened in resolve. I have to do this, I made a promise.

_____________________________________________________

Sasuke didn't find it a surprise to see himself reach the Konoha gates without a certain blonde there. Naruto had only been second to Kakashi when it came to worst punctuality in their old team. Still, he wished he hadn't come a tad too early. The dobe might think I'm actually excited for this two-man mission.

After five minutes of standing, hopelessly trying to think of how to entertain himself while expecting the dobe to come half an hour late, Sasuke decided to grab a snack nearby, stopping short when he saw two figures walking toward his direction. They hadn't noticed him yet, and for that he was grateful. He decided to blend in the shadows in order to watch while being unseen.

Now that they've come closer, he could see there were actually three - if you considered a dog counted in this situation.

Two red fangs on his face pointed to his heritage being that of the Inuzuka, the beast endowed clan of Konoha, and once a classmate of his. Walking beside him was a Hyuuga, no doubt, because of the pale, pupil-less eyes that held the other renowned dojutsu of the village - the Byakugan.

The white dog stopped trudging beside Hinata and barked at its master. They were within earshot and Sasuke easily eavesdropped on their conversation.

"Yeah! I'll take you up on that bet!" The Inuzuka spoke to the white dog.

"Kiba-kun? Akamaru?"

"Gomen Hinata-chan, Akamaru challenged me to a race and I can't say no to that!"

"Oh, a-ano.."

"Will you be okay if I leave you here?"

"Ah, h-hai! D-demo Kiba-kun..." Hinata started twiddling her fingers.

At this, Kiba placed his hands on the girl's shoulders and lowered his face to her eye level. "Hey, I'm sure he'll accept it."

Hinata blushed furiously, looking down and staring at the pack she held in her right hand.

Tch. Where is that idiot?! I wouldn't have to sit here cowering like a... Sasuke cursed himself, why was he hiding? His attention was stolen again by the last thing Kiba said to the Hyuga girl.

"...and I'd really rather not, um, be here when you... you know, bid him goodbye." Kiba scratched the back of his head in a manner that showed how nervous he'd become speaking of whoever she planned on saying goodbye to.

With a final thumb streaked across Hinata's cheek, Kiba ran off with Akamaru beside him. She was left to wait on her own.

Sasuke had been so enthralled by thinking of the conversation between his past classmates that he didn't notice his body had leaned forward, his chakra slightly piqued at the intent to hear more.

Hinata, being a Hyuga was sensitive to chakra signatures not only with her sight but also with her other senses. She immediately turned around, knowing there had been a presence nearby but being unsure who it was had not tried to reveal his presence.

"A-ano, who's there?"

Silence answered her. But after sometime, Sasuke decided it wasn't worth risking his reputation by hiding especially from a woman. He stepped out of the shadows and walked in the path of her vision.

"Sasuke-san! Konnichiwa, why were you hiding?"

"I wasn't hiding."

"A-ano..."

"What are you doing here?" Although he had a hunch as to her intent, he still wanted to hear it from her. And he liked the way her flushed cheeks and timid eyes refused to look into his eyes. He revelled in that thought, the way people still felt the need to keep some sort of caution when treading near his path.

"I-I wanted to s-say goodbye to Naruto-kun,"

Sasuke forced himself to keep from rolling his eyes. Figures.

"And, a-ano, I wanted t-to give him a few snacks o-on the way." At this, she raised the hand carrying the white package of boxed she held to show him, and settled it down.

"How did you even know about this mission? No one was supposed to—"

"Oii!!!!"

Tch. He arrives when I don't need him. The dobe.

"Sasuke-teme!" The blonde kyuubi vessel slowed when he saw that his rival wasn't alone. The girl standing a few meters from him started to redden and looked down at her clasped hands. "Hinata!! You're here too? And with Sasuke-teme... Um, am I missing something here?"

Sasuke looked away, not wanting to play third wheel to the mushy that's about to ensue between the hero of Konoha and the Hyuga heiress. "Hurry up and say what you have to say Hinata. We've already wasted so much time." His smooth baritone never faltered and he started walking to exit Konoha.

"Hinata, you had something to say to me?" Naruto turned to the heiress now standing beside him since he reached her.

"N-naruto-kun," Hinata tried to look up into his cerulean eyes but it only served to increase her heartbeat and the blush on her cheeks darkened. She bent over and presented the package with outstretched hands in order to avoid looking into his eyes. "I would like t-to say goodbye and t-to give y-you this."

Naruto took the package in his hands and before he could say anything, Hinata ran passed him and back into the village without a backward glance.

"A-arigato Hinata!!!" He tried to shout at her, hoping his words had reached her ears.

She still heard it. Sasuke thought to himself, knowing that his blonde friend's voice would carry perhaps as far back as the Hokage Monument.

Sasuke took the chance to look back at his friend, his eyes narrowing as the running form of the Hyuuga heiress slowly vanished from view and all that's left was a dumbfounded Naruto staring after her. "Dobe," he said.

Naruto turned to his friend with a small smile on his face, as if he wasn't even seeing Sasuke standing outside the gate waiting for him.

Tch. Something churned within Sasuke and he fought the urge to wipe the smile off his friend's face. "How long do you plan on delaying the mission?" And with an irritated grunt. He trudged off and let Naruto run to keep up.


	5. Personal Missions

"Have you found anything worth reporting?"

The Raikage's heavy steps and deep voice brought the shinobi to turn their heads to the entrance. The hint of worry and exhaustion in his voice was not missed by the people in his presence. They had been working day in and out trying to identify the bodies that were scattered in the room and separated based on a list of categories. The first of which was separating male from female, then by age groups and finally by the village or land of origin before any further taxonomy.

On the center of the room were three long tables with various medical instruments, vials will different colored fluids and other tools that served to help the people working on the autopsy of the bodies.

"Raikage-sama," Kozuya stepped forward while the rest of the men and women involved in the mission resumed their work. "I would like to walk you through the system we have formulated for this autopsy mission. The men and women here have all agreed that I will be in charge of overseeing the hands-on work that we will conduct."

The Raikage nodded and followed the old man with his assistant close behind him. Kozuya showed him the different groups based on village of origin and the Raikage easily noticed that there were more bodies piled from Konoha than the other villages. Moreover, he noted how rogue ninja (those without a village to call their own) cadavers were almost the same in quantity with the Konoha bodies. He made a mental note to let the other Kages know of his observations.

"Most of the body parts removed had something to do with the ninja's special abilities." Kozuya started, walking towards a specific body placed in the area of rogue ninja. "This fellow is a rogue ninja, we identified him as one of the followers of Orochimaru, the Snake Sannin."

Upon hearing this information, the Raikage turned to his assistant and nodded, giving her the signal to write down every information that they would receive from the autopsy group.

Grabbing his attention once again, Kozuya continued. "It has been very fortunate that different shinobi of various origins have been brought together here, Raikage-sama. I lack the knowledge of other villages outside my own and the Konoha shinobi in particular have so much information to offer about the history of rogue ninja from their village. Orochimaru apparently had been experimenting on—"

"Yes, yes, Kozuya-san. This is a well-known fact. What have you found with regards to the body of this ninja?"

Kozuya nodded and his faced turned gravely serious. "This particular ninja used his bones as a weapon. He could pull out one from his body and use it in many ways, a long sword for example. And he would seem to have an endless amount of bones to manipulate. Whoever did this took the main bone tissue from different parts of his body."

"What do you mean?"

"Bone samples, Raikage-sama, specifically from the joints and connecting parts. The knees, the elbows, the shoulders. It's as if they wanted to make a replica of this man but with only his abilities, using his bones as the foundation."

The Raikage looked down in thought. At the explanation of Kozuya, the rest of the autopsy team had fallen deathly silent, stopping their work to listen on the thoughts of the old man regarding their findings.

"Hmm, I see," the Raikage quietly brooded over what to do next.

"Alright, all of you start writing down the people you have positively identified and the condition of their bodies. Separate the information based on the cadavers' village of origin. From there, we include a second scroll directed to each of the villages concerned giving all of them information regarding the rogue ninja cadavers and their condition. Do I make myself clear?"

"Hai!" Everyone chorused and immediately set to work checking and rechecking each cadaver and listing their findings.

The Raikage, finding everything in place and satisfactory, turned to leave the room.

"Sumimasen Raikage-sama," Kozuya suddenly spoke amidst the fast-paced ongoings around him and the Raikage turned once again to face the medic veteran, a question hanging in the silence between them.

"I would like to know, has the Mizukage contacted you regarding my unexpected presence here?"

The Raikage raised a blonde eyebrow. "No," he replied curtly. "Is there something I should know, Kozuya-san?"

"N-no Raikage-sama," Kozuya bowed slowly. When he raised his body once more he was sporting a smile on his wrinkled face. "Arigatou, Raikage-sama, for the information." With a final nod the Raikage left the room, his assistant in tow.

When they were a good distance from the closed doors of the room the Raikage stopped walking.

"Raikage-sama?" His assistant spoke questioningly.

"Keep a watchful eye on that Kozuya. There is something he isn't being entirely honest about."

"Hai, Raikage-sama. I will alert the guards and the special forces."

"No," he said. "No special forces will be brought in. If he is a veteran medical nin, he would easily notice their presence and if he is hiding something, their presence would put him on guard. We need him to think we trust his story."

"Understood, Raikage-sama."

"Also," he turned to her this time, making sure she understood the weight of what he was about to say. "Make no mistake. All the Kages are counting on us to find something significant from this mass autopsy. Double, no, quadruple check the work of the people inside that room and make sure that the scrolls to be sent to each Kage are secure and not withholding any information. There could be something brewing just beyond the horizon and we have to make sure we are all on our utmost preparedness to face whatever threat is looming."

Turning once more to face away from his assistant, the Raikage started walking but this time his assistant didn't follow him. There was no reply as the assistant's footsteps indicated that she was walking back to the autopsy room.

The Raikage breathed deeply and looked out the window on his left while walking. We must protect the trust that was forged from the Allied Shinobi Forces of the Great Shinobi War.

__________________________________________

Naruto munched happily on the rice balls Hinata packed in the white box she had offered on his way to a mission. There were two boxes and he wondered for a second if she had known he would have a companion on his mission. Remembering Tsunade's words however,

"No one should know of this mission Naruto. So please refrain from speaking to your friends about it. Except for Sasuke, of course. I will allow you to take him on this mission. Only a few will know about this, mainly the Hyuga clan's Main Branch. They're just as involved in this as you are."

Finishing up his third rice ball, Naruto closed his packed snack and turned to his rival slicing away at a tree trunk not far from where he sat.

"Oi teme!" Naruto called out, grabbing his attention. Sasuke stopped mid-slice and turned his red eyes toward the blonde. "Don't you want any? I think Hinata prepared two boxes so we'll both have snacks on the way!"

"Tch," Sasuke muttered before continuing slicing up the tree with more force than he was previously using.

Naruto scratched his head in confusion. "What's wrong, teme? Why are you acting like you're having a tantrum or something?"

Sasuke's body stiffened and in a blink of an eye his katana was tucked back into its sheath and he landed gracefully in front of Naruto. "If you didn't notice, that girl only spoke to you. She must know how big your appetite is, which is why she prepared two boxes."

Naruto scrunched up his face in thought and started nodding to himself. "Mmm, you might be right teme, thanks!" And he started gobbling up another rice ball without a care in the world.

"Of course I am," without a backward glance Sasuke started jumping from tree to tree, heading South.

"Oi! Wait up!" Naruto quickly chased after him.

"What's our mission?" Sasuke suddenly asked when Naruto was able to catch up to the Uchiha survivor.

"Here," Naruto threw a small scroll in Sasuke's direction and he stayed quiet while he allowed him to read the contents. There was no use making a joke out of the mission, Naruto knew this was something serious not only to himself and the village, but also to Sasuke.

When Sasuke rolled the scroll once more and threw it back to Naruto, his demeanour had changed and the way he carried himself was more rigid than before.

"Why would the Hokage send us out to locate and bring back Karin?" The Uchiha's words were laced with doubt and confusion, but Naruto was able to pick out the hint of worry tinting his voice.

"I don't know. Tsunade no baa-chan said we'd understand once we returned with Karin." Naruto replied seriously, his eyes focused ahead. Sasuke glanced back, surprised that the usually cheerful blonde had suddenly turned quiet. Upon seeing his best friend's face, his eyes filled with understanding. He has changed. The war changed him. Probably all of us.

"So... Karin, huh?" Sasuke muttered. This will be interesting.

_____________________________________________

"Tsunade-sama," the copy nin's voice was quiet but hinted at concern, and stern brown eyes turned his way. "Are you sure it was a good idea letting only Sasuke accompany Naruto on this mission? And why Naruto in the first place? You know that the war didn't erase the fact that Konoha has many enemies, and most of them would do anything to get their hands on Naruto—"

Tsunade raised a hand to halt Kakashi's speech and the silver-haired man complied. "I know the risk of sending him out there, especially with Uchiha Sasuke. The council has been very vocal about their... distaste toward the last Uchiha. But he needs this to prove that he had returned and that his return will not jeopardize the safety of Konohagakure."

"Then why Naruto?"

This time, Tsunade stood from her chair and looked out the window behind her, evidently turning her back on Kakashi. "Because Naruto has changed. He's more mature now. And he will understand the significance of his presence when the time comes and they face Karin. Only he should be allowed to handle such a mission."

"Permission to trail them, Hokage-sama." Kakashi immediately worried for the safety of his students when he found out that they were gone. Their mission had been kept a secret from nearly everyone in the village, especially their friends. Their friends, especially Sakura were repeatedly told that they were training under Tsunade and were not to be disturbed for any reason. Sakura had been adamant about obeying but Tsunade's words were law to the pink-haired kunoichi. She had dejectedly turned around when Shizune told her that Tsunade wouldn't be training her for a while.

"You need to stay here and make sure that the reconstruction and rebuilding of Konoha is both safe and secure. We can't allow any mistakes this time. And I trust your loyalty to this village. Now I ask you to trust your two pupils alongside me."

"What if their friends find out? I received intel that Hyuuga Hinata had known that they were going to leave for a mission. She was seen by ANBU who were following Sasuke at the village gates."

"Hinata has been informed of the situation. At least, the surface of it. She knows of Naruto's mission because her father, Hyuuga Hiashi, found it imperative that his daughter and the heiress to the Hyuuga clan would be aware of the politics surrounding the village."

"Then that means...?"

"Yes, Kakashi," Tsunade slowly spoke with a grave tone to her voice. "She still doesn't know of the plans that involve her future."

____________________________________________

"Raikage-sama," the assistant had returned to the Raikage's main office, carrying a number of scrolls with her. "The scrolls have been prepared and carefully checked and rechecked."

The Raikage nodded. "Send them out now. No delays."

"Hai!" She immediately went out of the room to deliver the scrolls to the messengers personally.

The Raikage was once again left to his thoughts.

"Raikage-sama!!" Someone shouted and the doors to the Raikage's office were flung open, revealing his assistant's shocked face while sitting on the floor with the scrolls scattered around her. The guards of the autopsy room came running towards them. In the center of the office, right in front of the Raikage's desk was a panting old man, staying on his feet by resting his hands on his knees.

"Kozuya!" The Raikage's voice boomed. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"Raikage-sama," Kozuya started, his breaths still coming in shallow pants as he tried to regain control of his labored breathing. "Please, Raikage-sama,"

"Raikage-sama!" The guards finally arrived, grabbing the old man's arms and in the process forcing him to drop two scrolls he had been hiding in his back. The Raikage immediately saw the insignia of Konohagakure on the scrolls.

The Raikage's fist came down on his desk and split it into two. "What is the meaning of this, Kozuya?!"

"Please!" Kozuya fell on his knees in front of the Raikage. "Please let me take the scrolls to Konohagakure myself!"


	6. Another Uzumaki

When the mess had finally settled, the Raikage proceeded to sitting on his chair. His desk had been removed and would be replaced... again. Its broken pieces still littered and scattered on the floor. His assistant stood a little behind him to his right, and Kozuya remained planted on his knees in the centre of the room.

"Why do you want to take it upon yourself to bring the scrolls to Konoha? Should I suspect that you will divert the scrolls and keep information from reaching the Hokage?" The Raikage's voice was neutral but there was a hint of a challenge behind them.

"No Raikage-sama," the old man started to explain in a quiet tone. "You can have one or two of your best shinobi to trail me in order to assure that I deliver it safely to the hands of the Hokage. I have no ill intention towards Konoha. If you suspect that I will lead your shinobi to their demise then if they find anything suspicious, anything at all, then they may do as they deem necessary."

The people in the room were stunned into silence at the proposition that Kozuya brought to the table. The Raikage's eyes narrowed slightly before he composed his next words. "Then what intent do you have? Did you have this planned the whole time? The reason why you came along the group when the Mizukage specifically mentioned that only five will arrive?" The Raikage countered. His anger was not entirely quelled, thus he was on edge. He had no space for mistakes, especially one that may put one of their greatest allies in a dangerous situation.

"Yes, Raikage-sama. I planned to come here knowing that at some point you would have messages sent. I need to go to Konoha."

"Then why come here and join the autopsy mission instead of going straight to Konoha?"

"Two reasons, Raikage-sama," Kozuya stood and raised two fingers. "One, because I am a veteran medical nin and I know that my knowledge and skills are a valuable asset to this mission." The Raikage nodded once, it was true, the presence of the old man had helped greatly speed up the pace of the mission, moreover, his wisdom was invaluable to the group of young shinobi who worked alongside him.

"And the second?" The assistant prodded this time.

"Second, I needed something of value that would allow me to face the Hokage directly with no setbacks. Having the scroll will allow me to enter the gates of Konohagakure. I have a personal mission, and it must be brought directly to the Hokage herself."

"What personal mission is this?" The assistant once again snapped before the Raikage could speak.

Kozuya looked down gravely. "I'm afraid I cannot tell you Raikage-sama. It can only be known by the Konoha leader."

______________________________________

Sasuke and Naruto stayed quiet as they neared a small village said to be the present hiding place of the redheaded female they sought after. Naruto had already instructed Sasuke to do a sweep of the village's chakra signatures in order to find one that belonged to her.

Sasuke had grunted, amused that his rival, brother and best friend started bossing him around. But he had complied nonetheless, and he found it odd that Karin's chakra signature had been faintly similar to the Uzumaki beside himself, minus the Kyuubi's chakra of course. But it was there, faint, but present.

The young man's onyx black eyes blinked red for a second before he raised his voice. "She's here," his eyes narrowed to slits. "She knows we're here."

"How do you know that?" The blonde asked regarding the second statement the Uchiha mentioned.

"She tried to hide it but a second too late." Sasuke curtly replied, wondering what the Hokage needed with his former Hawk teammate. "We should hurry, I'm not sure if she'll try to escape us."

Naruto replied by picking up his pace till he was just a yellow and orange blur running through the forest with a black shadow trailing him.

Sasuke had taken the lead upon their arrival on the outskirts of the village, knowing that the Sharingan-weilder was more familiar with her chakra he could easily find her. They ended up in a small stone house on the far end of the village, separated from the rest of the residences and buildings built closely together, the hut stood out. But its lack of color and grandeur had kept people from actually noticing it in contrast to the bright and livid colors found in the village.

Sasuke calmly strode up the steps that lead to the front door and knocked. Naruto stayed about three paces back and remained silent though he was surprised with the good-mannered action of his teammate. The Uchiha wasn't known for manners, and he certainly left the Uzumaki dumbfounded when he knocked instead of breaking down the door off its hinges.

After a few moments, the door opened to reveal a young girl with brown eyes and pale blonde hair falling in irregular lengths down her back as if she herself had taken the liberty to cut it. Contrary to her feminine and childish features, she wore a black shirt and black pants that made her look too pale for a living being. Her round eyes moved from Sasuke to Naruto and back again, remaining expressionless.

"What do you want?" She suddenly asked.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, he ventured the child was just 5 or 6 based on her height and features but she spoke so straightforwardly that she might have been a little older than her appearance gave away. "Who else are you living with?"

"My grandmother," she answered immediately as if in haste. "Why? Who are you?"

"Hi little girl!" Naruto suddenly answered, coming toward the front door and stooping down on his heels to be in eye-level with the girl. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto and this is my friend Sasuke, we're looking for someone and you might know her."

The child's eyes narrowed visibly. "It's just me and my grandma here, no one else."

"Liar," Sasuke replied neutrally, his face an indifferent mask. He felt Karin's presence inside the house, she wasn't even trying to hide or attempt escape so the whole point of a child "covering" for her, he found rather pointless. Suddenly he smirked at the child.

The girl puffed her reddening cheeks and was about to retort when the door opened wider to reveal the kunoichi they were looking for.

"Alright, alright, you got me," Karin said unenthusiastically and put a hand on the head of the young girl. "Mirai, it's okay, I'll handle them."

The child, Mirai, looked at the two men and frowned, "Don't take Karin-chan away from us." She stalked off inside yelling 'grandma' while Karin stepped out of the door and closed it quietly behind her. She never broke eye contact with Sasuke while she did. She placed her hands on her hips are regarded both men with a guarded look.

"What do you want?" She asked the same question Mirai had asked (and Sasuke had not answered) previously.

"We're taking you back with us. To Konoha."

Karin grunted. "So you're back to serving Konoha, huh? Never thought you'd play pet to the Kyuubi's runt."

Sasuke clenched his hands but said nothing. Tch. "Come on," he said neutrally, turning around and expecting her to follow. When he didn't hear sounds of her feet following, he turned once more. "Well?"

Karin sighed. "What do you even want with me?"

"It's not us, Karin-chan," the Uzumaki male spoke for the first time since she revealed her face. "The Hokage sent us on this mission. She wanted us to return you to Konoha."

"Return? When have I ever been to that village?" Karin snapped at the blonde boy, crossing her arms across her chest. "Besides, I have no plans of leaving this place."

"It's the girl, isn't it?" Sasuke said, his expression never faltering but Karin heard the threat behind his calm demeanor. She slowly set her arms loosely at her sides, but the tension on her shoulders didn't escape the two young men's eyes.

"Don't. You. Dare." She said each word slowly, with emphasis on the last as a snarl escaped her lips. Sasuke reached behind him and lightly touched the hilt of his sword, another threat, but made no other move and said nothing. Karin knew how the Uchiha survivor communicated – with actions. The slightest tilt of his head holds a hundred messages at once and this had been her weakness with him ever since – his carefully calculated movements.

"What is it? What girl? Teme! Who are you talking about?!" Naruto broke the string of tension flitting between the former Hawk teammates, completely oblivious to the silent conversation happening between his teammate and their charge.

Karin heaved a heavy sigh and looked at Sasuke steadily. "Fine,"

With a motion too fast for the common eye to see, Sasuke unsheathed his sword halfway, striking Karin's abdomen with the hilt and causing her to bend over and fall onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Sheathing his sword once more, he felt Karin struggling weakly and he tapped the back of her head once, rendering her unconscious on his right shoulder.

"Let's go, Naruto." He turned to leave and Naruto complied quietly. Wanting to ask why he thought it necessary to do that to Karin but knowing that Sasuke had his reasons. He knows her more than I do anyway, he thought to himself. He looked back to see the little blonde girl staring out the window with a mix of sadness, fear and anger in her eyes, and he started to wonder if letting Sasuke render Karin helpless when she agreed to come along had been a good idea. He walked alongside Sasuke, glancing at the red-haired kunoichi's face in the corner of his eye. She had her eyes closed, and he thought something was different with her face... something was off.

He looked back at the house in the distance and saw the little girl standing on the pathway leading out of the house, holding a pair of eye glasses in her hands.

The Raikage looked out his window as three men exited his village gates. The old man, Kozuya, was trailed from a far by two of his best shinobi, and even farther back was a shinobi trailing all three of them, masking his presence and keeping a good distance to keep watch but hide at the same time.

The rest of the shinobi carrying the different scrolls had departed long before the big entourage that lay before him. Big because they were technically in a group of 4 while the others had travelled individually. Each group was travelling with two scrolls, one on the information regarding the cadavers originating from their villages, and the other on the information regarding rogue nin and the condition of all the bodies, the time of deaths, the method by which they were killed, and what were taken from their already dead bodies...

Everything necessary was written in ink on those scrolls and the Raikage wanted to make sure his fellow Kages understood the weight of the situation before them and he hoped that all the scrolls reached their destinations as soon as possible.

"Raikage-sama?"

"What is it?" The Raikage didn't turn to his assistant, but she knew his attention was entirely on her as soon as she spoke.

"Are you sure it is wise to trust him?"

The Raikage's eyes followed Kozuya until he was out of sight before turning to his assistant. "He's a man who has lived his life to the full. Very few people reach that age living as ninja... And I saw his eyes."

The assistant shrinked back, frowning with confusion and feeling uncertain how to interpret what their village leader just said. He understood her loss for words and placed a hand on her shoulder with as much gentleness as a father toward his daughter can muster. He knows how loyal the young female was and he always treasured her wisdom in times of difficult situations.

"He has everything to lose being the Mizukage's grandfather. He wouldn't risk her. And... in his eyes, I saw conviction. He genuinely believes what he's doing is right. We have to wait and see what it is he needed to fulfill."

At this, the assistant nodded, believing in what her leader saw in Kozuya.

They've travelled back to home quicker than expected and still Karin hadn't woken up.

"Oi, Sasuke," Naruto called his friend's attention as he got out of the river they camped by. "Why did you have to make her fall unconscious if she was willing to come with us without trouble?"

"I've had enough of one, loudmouth for the entire mission." He replied unconvincingly and Naruto, mature as he is now, ignored the snide remark at his being a loudmouth and focused on the fact that Sasuke had looked away upon answering. His voice had hitched, an indication of a lie.

Naruto sighed. "Fine, if you won't talk then I'd have to wake her up."

"Don't."

"Why?"

"Naruto," Sasuke looked at his best friend threateningly. He had a mission of his own, one that was given to him by Kakashi and he was going to see it through till the end of the mission.

Naruto's face scrunched up in irritation. "Stop treating me like I'm an idiot, Uchiha."

Sasuke's eyebrow shot up at the use of his clan name. It sounded so alien coming from Naruto. After a moment of Naruto's clenching his hands into fists and staring at Sasuke's onyx black eyes, the Sharingan wielder stood suddenly and turned to walk toward the direction of the river, leaving Naruto standing in the same spot and Karin on the patch of thick grass near where he had been sitting.

"Where are you going?"

"River," Sasuke muttered.

"Teme," Naruto half-snarled. "Just tell m—"

"You're not an idiot..." Sasuke paused midstep but didn't turn around. "And that's why I choose not to answer you, Uzumaki."


End file.
